


What Others Think of Us

by orphan_account



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alfred - Freeform, America, Arthur - Freeform, England - Freeform, M/M, USUK - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-04
Updated: 2019-08-04
Packaged: 2020-07-30 17:00:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20100577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: City boy Arthur meets country bumpkin Alfred.





	What Others Think of Us

Arthur stood eerily still against the backdrop of forest green. His hands were clenched around the leather strap of his satchel so tight that his knuckles had gone white. 

The boy's eyes were closed, head tilted slightly and a soft smile graced his lips as if the soft sound of the creek passing under him filled him with some unparalleled joy.

When Alfred found him like this, the boy was consumed with the fear that the horror movie he had watched a fortnight ago had somehow come to life to haunt him and, with the imagination that only a child could possess, Alfred had decided he was long entering the last few stages of his short life. 

Alas, not even the boy's fear of ghosts and certain death could compare to the verbal thrashing he was to receive from his Ma if he were to miss school. So he promptly gathered all courage an eleven-year-old could have mustered and gingerly approached the ghost.

Arthur slowly opened his eyes, the sound of creaking wood slashing through his daydream. He turned slightly at the waist and stared at the newcomer. Who was this short pudgy boy that had seemingly appeared out of thin air?

"Are you a Goblin?" Arthur asked.

"Are you a Ghost?" Alfred replied.

Since both are neither, they shake their heads solemnly wondering what exactly had possessed the other to ask such a question.

And there is silence.

Alfred sighs in relief, "Well, I'll be! I'd reckon you were a ghost by how still you stood." 

Arthur felt a miffed to be called a ghost but he lets it slide, albeit reluctantly. He wasn't in a mood to bicker with strangers.

"I do apologize if I caused you any trouble," Arthur begins uncertainly, "I didn't mean to scare you."

"Scare me? 'Course you didn'. But..." 

Alfred suddenly moved closer, finding himself very interested in the newcomer. After all, in the quiet village of Lumen everybody had grown up knowing of the other and newcomers were as rare as they came.

"Can't say I've seen cha around. You the son of some traveling merchant? You sound funny, that's for sure."

"Excuse me? I do not sound 'funny' and I do think it is quite rude of you to go around insulting people like that."

Feeling a bit hurt at the comment, Arthur took a defensive step backward but Alfred (who wasn't one to be discouraged) took two forward. The latter now had an inkling of who exactly he had managed to stumble upon and it was all the more reason to prove his intuition right with a little chit chat.

"Now..Now..No need to pitch a fit. I'm Alfred...Alfred F. Jones and I'll have you know I'm nothin' less than a hero 'round here." 

"I'm Arthur," The brit replies hesitantly "Arthur Kirkland."

"Ah, that explains it. Ma was talking 'bout you at dinner. Told me to be mighty good to you and that you'd come from over the yonder. You're living with Mrs. Randall, arent cha? She's all stiff and icky. She's the meanest woman I know."

Arthur stifles a giggle, "Well yes, she's horrendous."

"That she is but you...you don't talk much, do you? Pity, you have a nice smile and your funny talk does sound kinda nice 'fter a bit."

Arthur flushed, he wasn't used to being complimented so randomly, "Well that's because you talk so much and I can't seem to get a word in."

Arthur expects Alfred to defend himself and jumped slightly when the boy lets out a boisterous laugh.

"I've heard that from Mattie a 'hole lot. He tells me that I'd still be talking long after the cows come home and I'm gonna go bit my tongue right off one day but that's mighty fine if you ask me. I told him since he's so quiet, his tongue ought to shrivel up and die from negligence."

Arthur nodded, "My mom used to say that if you had nothing good to say then it's better not to say anything at all."

"Well now that's fine advice but you see I got a lot of good things to say but not enough time to say them." He paused for a bit, "Say, Arthur, why are you standing 'ere?"

"Oh," Arthur was a little shocked at the question due to him being more focused at the boy's babbling.

"Well...I heard that the field is covered with Lavender every summer and that it spreads as far as the edge of the woods...so till this bridge, right? I was imagining how it would look and since it's also quite magical here, I was listening for fairies."

"Faries don't exist," Alfred said tilting his head quizzically "Even if they did, isn't that something girls should like?"

"B-Boys can like fairies too!" Arthur stuttered incredulously, "And I'll have you know that I've seen them before with my very own eyes."

"Now you're just fibbing. There's no way you saw a fairy."

Before Arthur could defend himself, the shrill ring of the school bell echoed through the clearing causing both of them to start. Arthur suddenly realized that he had stalled too long and would probably be late for his first day.

"Now come 'long, Artie or Miss ought to be madder than a wet hen!" 

Suddenly he felt his arm being pulled and stumbled slightly. He struggled to keep up with Alfred, fearing that if he were to trip the latter would have dragged him through the dirt to school. The woods rushed by until the dirt path opened up to an old brick building that acted as the village school. The courtyard was filled with several children who were rushing to reach before the last bell ring and could mark them late.

Alfred and Arthur rushed into class with few seconds to spare, the latter wreathed his hand free and collapsed breathlessly into the nearest chair.

Trying to bring his heart rate under control, he wonders just what exactly he had managed to entangle himself into now.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments appreciated <3


End file.
